Emergent BioSolutions, Abbott preclinical data

In mouse xenograft models of follicular lymphoma, TRU-016 plus bendamustine, rituximab or temsirolimus increased tumor growth delay compared to each drug alone. Data will be presented at the American Society of Hematology meeting in Orlando in December. TRU-016, a humanized small modular immunopharmaceutical (SMIP) that targets the CD37 antigen, is in Phase I/II testing for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Facet Biotech Corp., which was acquired by Abbott in April, has exclusive, worldwide rights to co-develop and commercialize TRU-016 from Trubion Pharmaceuticals Inc., which was acquired by Emergent earlier this month (see BioCentury, Aug. 31, 2009).

Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo:4503, Tokyo, Japan) granted rights for bendamustine to Cephalon Inc. (NASDAQ:CEPH, Frazer, Pa.) in the U.S., to Mundipharma International Ltd. (Cambridge, U.K.) in Europe and to SymBio Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) in Japan and certain Asian countries. Symbio then partnered the compound with Eisai Co. Ltd. (Tokyo:4523; Osaka:4523, Tokyo, Japan) in Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Cephalon markets bendamustine as Treanda in the U.S. to treat CLL and indolent B cell NHL. Mundipharma markets it as Ribomustin in Germany to treat CLL, NHL and multiple myeloma (MM). ...